Transmission shifters typically provide manual actuation for shifting a transmission between different gears. Each shifter normally includes a housing or frame mounted on, for example, a floor or steering column of a vehicle and an operating member movably mounted on the housing. The movable member translates movement of the driver's hands into mechanical changes that cause the transmission to shift between gears.
Many floor-mounted (console) shifters have an operating member (gear shift lever) with a handle at one end. The lower end of the operating member (gear shift lever) projects downwardly from a pivot point on the housing. The gear shift lever is typically moved in a pattern of shifting from 1st gear, to 2nd gear, to 3rd gear, etc. In general, this shifting pattern is typically referred to as an “H” pattern with each point of the H representing a different gear, even though modern manual transmissions often have more than four gears. Some shifters have a straight line pattern (e.g., reverse gear is all the way back, first gear one step forward, etc.).
A resilient member (e.g. a spring) biases the operating member towards a neutral position. The operating member is moved forward/backward into individual shift positions and left/right through gates. For example, with one manufacturer of vehicles, moving the shifter forward engages first gear, but moving the shifter forward while pushing it to the right, through a “gate” engages third gear.
The shifter typically translates the forward/backward movement into operation of a first lever of the vehicles transmission and translates the left/right movement into operation of a second lever of the vehicles transmission. The levers of the transmission are typically operated through a linkage system that often includes cables within flexible housings (e.g. flexible rods).
Typically, a vehicle is provisioned with a fixed shifter that is designed for the typical driver and not adjustable to accommodate drivers that have differing physical features or desires. For example, even when custom-ordering a new vehicle, there is often no option for a different shifter. The only option that might even remotely resemble a different shifter is a different handle (e.g., some manufacturers have different styles of handles for different versions of a car). That being said, the seats are generally adjustable to move forward/back and, sometimes, up/down to accommodate drivers of varying stature. The seat adjustments are more for accommodating people of varying height and weight than for accommodating various arm lengths, body strength and personal desires. Furthermore, a fixed shifter does not accommodate for different, perhaps alternating, drivers of the same vehicle.
Additionally, some vehicles include motor-driven seat adjustments, steering wheel adjustments, and mirror adjustments. In such, there are often presets for individual drivers that share one vehicle. For example, pressing a driver-1 button moves the seats, mirrors, and steering wheel to a first settable position and pressing a driver-2 button moves the seats, mirrors, and steering wheel to a second settable position. Still, there is no adjustment for the shifter.
What is needed is an adjustable shifter that will adjust to the needs and desires of an individual driver.